After several failed attempts, the director won the best foreign language film award for “Amour” as his home country had its best Oscar outing since 1961.

When Haneke’s Amour was named as the award winner Sunday night, it marked the end of a long struggle by the Austrian government to have Haneke’s films – many of which like Amour have been in French – accepted as properly Austrian in the eyes of the Academy.

Foreign language films can now be in any language other than English. Their nationality is determined by the creative force behind the film.

Two Austrian Oscars in one night – that hasn’t happened since 1961, when Billy Wilder won three Oscars in a single year for The Apartment. The film took home the best picture, best director and best original screenplay honors that year.